- Amazing new shots capture the national symbol which has sat on Blackpool’s Fylde coast since 1984
- New images include 100-year-old advertising brochures which were produced to promote the new attraction
- Dozens of images show the tower during its three-year construction process with some dating back to 1891
- Thousands of tourists had lined the outside of the tower and spread down the promenade to see the first foundation being laid
Unseen archive photographs have been unearthed to mark the 125th birthday of the iconic Blackpool Tower.
The Lancashire landmark – a national symbol on Blackpool’s Fylde coast since 1894 – will celebrate the momentous occasion on May 14.
This gallery of images has been released to mark the special date, and include 100-year-old advertising brochures promoting the attraction, which was inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Standout images in the nostalgic gallery include Art Deco drawings from 1919, elaborate gold and silver foil designs from the 1930s and a sobering grey outline of the tower from during the Blitz in 1941.
Also released are dozens of images of the tower during its three-year construction process, with some dating back to 1891 when thousands lined Blackpool’s promenade to view the first foundation stone being laid.
The tower had been the brainchild of Sir John Bickerstaffe, one of the former Mayors of Blackpool who became inspired after visiting The Eiffel Tower in Paris. He had been passionate about the Lancashire resort and set out to create the tower.
Kenny Mew, its general manager, said: ‘The Blackpool Tower resonates with the hearts and minds of all of its guests since it opened all those years ago.’
The beginnings of the tower in 1893 show how the bottom half (left) was constructed before gradually being built up (right)
When it was being built in 1893 the surrounding area of the tower also had to be upgraded, the bottom of the tower can be seen in construction (left) while the tower today stands proud at the centre of Blackpool (right)
Blackpool beach, where many Brits would enjoy their summer holidays and perhaps even a ride on a donkey, sits infront on the tower in 1893
The tower made it easier for Blackpool to attract tourists from across the UK and the rest of Europe, much like its French counterpart, the Eiffel Tower
The picture above shows the amount of people who gathered for the foundation laying in 1891, people can be seen all the way down the promenade
As word of the tower grew across the UK, the building put on more and more events and produced a brochure for 1926 (left) and a souvenir programme for 1927
Pictures from the front of a 1928 brochure (left) show the tower in front of a beach as well as an illustration from the circus. This is while in 1929 organisers tried to entice customers by putting lions, tigers and monkeys on the front (right)
Brochures for the tower sold for two pence in 1919 (left) and newly released pictures document the fanfare the tower brought to Blackpool including camels on the beach (right)
A family gather outside the entrance to the tower dressed in their finest bonnets and suits for what promised to be a fun-filled day out
Pictures show how the tower was erected and stood tall over other buildings in Blackpool such as the Post Office (right) its position in the sea side resort means it can be seen almost anywhere, and it can also be seen on the train into Blackpool from other parts of the north West
Pictures of the beginnings of the tower in 1893 show how difficult it would have been to construct such a magnificent building during a time where building tools were not as advanced as they were today
Three workers can be seen at the beginnings of the tower in 1893, unfinished brick work is seen on the right and stacks of bricks and be seen on the left
New booklets were created every season to advertise what was on offer at Blackpool Tower and its neighbouring attractions.
‘From spotting it on your way into the resort, The Blackpool Tower is a staple of the town’s history and celebrates the very best of British.’
On May 14, all tower staff will welcome guests while dressed in the traditional Victorian uniforms first worn by workers while lifetime admission will be gifted to any babies born at Blackpool Victoria Hospital on the day.
Mr Mew added: ‘We hope that people continue to show the same love for the Tower that they have over the decades and still visit in the years to come.’